putting my chickens all together?

[funnychick]

I have two 10 week old polish hens in my coop. I also have five 4 week olds in the house and 13 three weeks olds. Im not sure how to put them all together and when. I do know that the cribs in the house are getting pretty crowded....especially for the older ones. I have been putting them out in the run during the day and have them chicken fenced off from the two polish so they wont get hurt. The polish always seem really upset in the morning when the others show up but settle down as the day goes on. Im not sure how I am supposed to get them together without injury and when. any suggestions?? Should I buy a cage for them at night? I dont have a seperate coop for the groups to use so they can be seperate..

 

[Mrs. K]

well, I would think that you could combine the 4 weeks with the 3 weeks real quick. It should not go too badly, because the size difference should be close?

But you might be 4 -6 weeks away from combining them with the older girls.

 

[funnychick]

yikes! I'm going to need another coop then. My husband is going to be less than thrilled

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Yes I would would untill the youngest are at least 8 weeks old before you put them with the 2 polish...but while you are waiting for them to grow-up keep doing what you are doing in the day time....put them in the same pen together but with protection from the 2 polish...also you should be able to very easily put the 3 and 4 weeks old together...what I would do is either in the early morning like right when the 4 week olds wake up put the 3 week olds in with them...or at night when the 4 week olds are asleep.

 

[Nicole01]

I integrate mine with an XL wire dog kennel. It's worked like a charm. I leave the kennel in as long as needed. I do not put them together on the roost until the youngest are 13 weeks or older, roughly the same size and after their voice change. I put the kennel inside the coop when they are 6-8 weeks old. I free range all right away. The younger ones do not go far from the run.

I'm soon buying a smaller wire kennel to free up some room in the coop. I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll buy either a medium or large size. The XL kennel is a bit big for 3 chicks.

I'll keep the XL kennel as the inside brooder.